Is There Any Justification For Talks With Terrorists?

The government of Pakistan has hinted at the possibility of initiating dialogue with terrorists, who have been fighting a fierce battle against the security forces in tribal areas situated on Pak-Afghan border and some other parts of the country. Is there any justification for holding talks with criminals? No society in the world will allow holding of talks with murderers of innocent people. Thousands of people have been killed in the fighting. Millions of tribesmen have been displaced.

As a first step to bring peace in the war-torn Swat through political dialogue, the government on Tuesday decided to ask Maulana Fazlur Rehman to play the role of a mediator

between the government and the extremists to improve the si-tuation in Swat and the tribal areas.

The decision was taken in a meeting held at the presidency. President Asif Ali Zardari chaired the meeting, which was attended by Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior Rehman Malik.

Sources said it was decided that Fazl would support the government in talks with the extremists and also play his part to improve the security situation in Swat. The sources said national security, regional situation and other matters relating to coalition cooperation in the upcoming Senate elections also came under discussion in the meeting.

The sources said it was also decided in the meeting to induct two more ministers from the JUI-F into the federal cabinet with portfolios of science and technology and tourism.At the moment, the JUI-F has only one member in the federal cabinet — Rehmatullah Kakar with the portfolio of housing and works — and with two more ministries, they would have

three members in the cabinet of Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani.

The sources said it was also decided in the meeting that both the parties would cooperate with each other in the Senate elections in Balochistan and the NWFP. On the occasion, the sources added, President Zardari said that the military operation was being carried out as a last option in Swat and other volatile areas of the tribal belt. The meeting was intended as an effort to bring peace in Swat.

Source: thenews.com.pk